Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education

Tom Kimmerer, PhDExecutive Director, AASHE

Sustainability and the Presidents’ Climate Commitment

www.aashe.orgwww.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

We are too close to the brink

Success is Possible

Success is Possible,but not certain

The major barriers to sustainability are social and behavioral.

The scientific and technical challenges are much easier.

Success requires cultural change

Why Higher Ed. Is Important

• Colleges and Universities:– Use 1.6% of US energy budget– Use 7% of US Electricity– Use 9.3% of US building energy

budget– Produce 1.8% of US carbon

dioxide emissions– Spend $7 billion per year on

energy– Spend $2.00/sq. foot on energy

Energy

• Why should colleges buy renewables?– Education

Energy

• Why should colleges buy renewables?– Education– Impact

• Colleges use 7% of total US electricity

• 30% of that would be 2.1% of total electricity capacity in US

• Renewable currently account for <6% of total electricity capacity

• Colleges could boost the renewable industry by 35%

Barriers to Sustainability

The organization of colleges & universities is a significant barrier to sustainability

Barriers to Sustainability

The Landlord-Tenant relationship needs to be replaced with a collaborative learning

relationship.

Involve students and faculty in operations

• What is the real source of materials purchased by campus procurement?

Involve students and faculty in operations

• What is the real source of materials purchased by campus procurement?

Involve students and faculty in operations

• What is the real source of materials purchased by campus procurement?

• 427 College and University Presidents have committed their campuses to reversing climate change.

• The ACUPCC will be the great accelerator of campus sustainability

The ACUPCC defines climate neutrality as no net emissions of greenhouse gases within a defined scope.

Elements of the Commitment:• Establish and Institutional Structure• Measure GHG Emissions• Take two or more tangible actions• Develop a Climate Action Plan• Report on progress

• The ACUPCC is highly flexible• Designed to be adapted by each campus– Timelines– Tangible Actions– GHG inventory methods– Implementation methods

• No requirement for purchasing offsets

Education is a major goal of the ACUPCC. The Commitment will fail if it is seen as an operational function of the college.

• The Implementation Guide will assist signatory schools in getting started and in understanding the reporting requirements.

• Further support will become available from AASHE over the coming months

The ACUPCC is an agent of change in higher ed:• Change in the way colleges operate• Change in the way in which we educate our

citizens• Change in the way in which we interact with

our communities

• Universities and Colleges have an opportunity to lead

• Collective leadership is more powerful than individual leadership

National higher ed sustainability organizations

• AASHE - We are a member association of colleges and universities committed to sustainability in operations and curriculum.

• HEASC – We are a meta-association of associations primarily on the operational side of the university.

• DANS – We are a meta-association of associations on the academic side of the university.

• ACUPCC – A project of AASHE, Second Nature and EcoAmerica

Contacts

www.aashe.orgwww.presidentsclimatecommitment.org

Tom Kimmerertom@aashe.org